With a little more than a month left before the International Baking Industry Exposition, many exhibitors and organizations are making final preparations for the show.

The Disney Institute, for instance, reports that it has been working with the American Bakers Association to custom-design a program for the baking industry.

Bruce Jones, programming director for the Celebration, Fla.-based institute, says participants in the program, which runs Oct. 7-9 during the IBIE show, will be surprised at how similar Disney is to their organizations.

“For one thing, we have a significant culinary and food and beverage operation onside, so we know that the strategies and techniques we’ll be showcasing apply to ABA members,” he says. “But just as important, we all have clients and customers to take care of. We may not talk about ovens, shipping and the technical aspects of baking, but we’ll spend a lot of time on equally important business issues like effective leadership, building a strong corporate culture, delivering consistently excellent service and installing pride in your employees.”

Since 1986, the Disney Institute has hosted millions of business people from many industries. Its extensive list of clients includes such companies as Kraft Crop., McDonald’s, Ralston Purina Corp. and the Young Presidents Organization.

“Anybody who wants to improve business practices of their organization should attend — from front-line employees to senior-level executives,” Jones says. “No matter where you sit in an organization, you’ll find tools and strategies that are adaptable to your scope of influence.”

With the number of food contamination incidents on the rise, food industry professionals are becoming increasingly concerned about negative publicity, lawsuits, expensive recalls and the overall impact a single incident can have on the future of their businesses.

As such, a heightened importance has been placed on staying current with the latest food safety and food security recommendations and regulations. Consequently, attending the IBIE’s Food Safety and Security seminar track will be critical for anyone concerned about these issues.

The American Institue of Baking, based in Manhattan, Kan., will conduct expert-led seminars on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), allergens, Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and the Bioterrorism Act.

“The food industry has to implement plant programs such as allergen control and sanitation to prevent unintentional product contamination and establish a food defense program to fight against intentional attacks,” notes Kirk O’Donnell, the AIB’s vice president of education.

“With modernized GMPs, many businesses will be faced with the challenge of updating plant programs and training employees to comply with revised regulations,” he adds. “The Bioterrorism Act is another important government regulation that has become increasingly more complex in the past five years. The most recent record-keeping requirements have a great impact on a food facility’s traceability and recall programs.”

At next year's APC Crisco National Pie Championships, April 17-20, in Orlando, Fla., the California Raisin Marketing Board, Fresno, Calif., will sponsor new raisin pie categories in both the commercial and amateur divisions.

"The California raisin growers and processors have been looking for this exposure for a long time," says Larry Blagg, senior vice president of the CRMB. "We are excited to tell the story of raisins as an important ingredient for both commercial and home baking."

In its mission to actively promote California-grown raisins, and also act as an advocate for the raisin industry, the CRMB is partnering with other organizations such as the Bread Bakers Guild of America.

In addition, next April, the California Dancing Raisins will make their motion picture debut in the animated film "Foodfight!"

For more information, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com